Cleaning composition



Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

CHARLES W. STUART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOI.

CLEANING COMPOSITION.

1T0 Drawing Application filed June 2'7,

This invention relates to cleaning compositions or compounds and more particularly to a cleaning composition orcompound for removing oil, grease, dirt, and the like from 5 metal surfaces to be painted, enameled or plated, although it is of general utility for any cleaning purpose.

" The cleaner forming the subject matter of the invention has the desirable advantages to of harmlessness and safety in use. It is preferably dissolved or mixed in water in tanks or vats suitable for dipping or otherwise immersing the metal articles to be cleaned.

llt has no deleterious effects upon the metal in of tank or article, nor does it clog or detericrate sewers or wastepipcs into which the refuse from the cleaning vats may be poured.

Essentially the action of the cleaner is to cut the mineral oil from the metal to be an cleaned or to combine with the oil in. such manner that it will readily emulsify in water in which the metal may be immersed or rinsed. I

lit is therefore one object'of the invention to provide a cleaning compound adapted to remove mineral oil and other oils, greases and the like from metal or wood without in jury to the material or to the user, and to provide a cleanser that will emulsify in water together with the mineral oil or grease which it has removed or dissolved.

Another object is to provide a novel method of combining the ingredients whereby l[ attain the desirable results and func- 5 tions.

A further object is to provide a unique method of removing mineral and other oils and'grease from wood or metal or from other materials, for any purpose, for instance,,such

as that described.

Stillfurther objects and advantages will ,appear from perusal of the detailed description of a certain form of my invention and from the claims.

In a simple form the cleaning composition or material may consist of a soluble oil base to which a suitable alkali is added.

treated oil which has the property of combinin with mineral oiland causing it to emulsify with water. It may be unsaponified or either partially or wholly saponified animal or vegetable oil,'or both, and to cause emulsification, various agents may be used, such solvents as alcohol, phenol, water and function of m cleaner By the term, soluble 011 base, is meant a, y

1924. Serial No. 722,675.

mineral oil,'being particularly valuable in this connection.

The approximate formulae of a number of soluble oil bases are hereinafter given, the

majority of which can be procured upon the open market. -They do not, except in com-- bmation, form part of the invention hereof.

Rosin oil is Oleic acid; 40 Alcohol 20 Soda solution 14 Lard oil "ii Carbolic acid 24 35 Caustic 24 8. Rosin 7 lbs. Kerosene 2 gals. Caustic 2' lbs. Ammonia 2 gals. ()leic acid 150 lbs. Alcohol 2 gals. While the majority of soluble oil bases are not in themselves completely emulsifiable the use of any base which does completely emulsify in water without additional ingredients g5 appears to greatly enhance the functioning of the cleaner.

' T he difference between a soluble oil and a soluble oil base is this: In the usual process of making soluble oil, one part of soluble oil base is mixed with from four to six parts of mineral oil and the resultant mixture becomes cmulsifiable in water in its entirety and is called a soluble oil for this reason. If mmeral oil is added to a soluble oil base to an amount to completely saturate the base,

no, greater amount of mineral oil will be taken up by the base and any excess of mineral oil beyond that necessary to completely saturate the base will not emulsify in water and will float on the top thereof. The

depends upon the afiinity of the soluble oil base therein for more mineral oil other than that with which 'it' may be mixed asa so -called catalytic agent and, therefore, when the cleaner comes in contact with mineral oil or grease on a part to be cleaned, it will absorb all mineral oil therefrom and become a soluble oil which will immediately flash intoan emulsion in water. Thus it will be apparent that the cleaning action of my cleaner depends upon the property of the soluble oil base in the cleaner to absorb or take up an additional quantity of mineral oil from the article to be cleaned before it reaches its saturation point. In other words, if a soluble oil base which had the property of combining with eight times its weight of paraffin "oil, were used and mixed with six parts of parafiin oil prior to its use in a cleaner, the resultant oil would only have the property of taking up an additional two parts of parafii'n oil from the article to be cleaned. It will be understood, of course, that the soluble oil base must of itself besoluble or emulsifiable in water.

To the soluble oil base, an alkaline mate-X rial of detergent qualities is added, which, for the work of removing oil and grease is preferably a phosphate of soda, such as trisodium phosphate. Di-sodium phosphate is also valuable,- and other like alkalics could be used. The soluble oil base and the alkalies are thoroughly mixed and worked together to form a homogeneous mixture in suitable proportions which may vary over a wide ran e. For instance, the soluble. oil base may e varied between 1% and 20% of the final product, and the alkali such as phos phate of soda, between 30% and 95% of the final product. These compositions will have the property grease or oi from the article and whereby it may emulsify and be carried in solution or substantial solution in water.

After thoroughly mixing the phosphate of soda or other alkali with the soluble oil base, a dry; or substantially dry powder may be added to pick up or absorb any surplus oil or moisture contained therein. The addition of this powder, drier, or absorbent is unnecessary-to the functioning of the cleaner, but' renders it easier to. handle because the prodnot formed of the soluble oil base and alkali is generally of a mushy consistency whichis usually undesirable in handling for packing or use. I have found it best to use materials which are. not abrasive in their character,

such as dextrine, or soda ash. Soda ash is to be preferred because of its low cost and high solubility... This drying, filling, or absorbing ingredient may be added. in quantities varying between five and sixty per cent of the final product as may be desired.

For ordinary metal cleaning, the most desirable ingredients and quantities I have found to be; soluble oil base 6%, phosphate of soda 82%, and soda ash 12%.

In using the cleaner it is preferably added to water and the mixture heated to the boilof dissolving or removing the ing point although hot water may be used initially. Approximately four ounces of cleaner may be proportioned to each gallon of water, and after thorough mixing, the articles to be cleaned may be plunged into the solution singly or in baskets as convenient, depending upon their size, etc. During this operation, the mixture is preferably maintained at the boiling point.

' Just what chemical reactions or combinations take placebetween the various ingredients which form the soluble oil base,or between the base and phosphate or other alkali, and between the composition cleaning material and the oil and water, I can only speculate and speculating would serve no useful purpose herein. Sufiice it to say that by following this specification those skilled in the art will be able to duplicate the material and results. There does seem, however, to be some chemical combination between the ingredients and there is, without doubt, a certainafiinity of the mineral oils for the cleaner, while the addition of a small quantit of a mineral oil to the soluuring its manufacture has an ble oil base action apparentl similar to that of a catalytic agent, faci itating solution or emulsification of the cleaner and oils or greases in water. The effect of the cleaner on the mineral oil may be to dissolve it chemically or mechanically and when the resultant product passes intowater it appears to emulsify although the mixture may be chemically rather thhn mechanically dissolved therein.

I have described my invention in one illustrative form and not by way of limitation, since various changes may be made within its scope without departing from its spirit or the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A cleaning composition containing soluble oil base, and phosphate of soda.

2. A cleaning'compositiou containing a soluble oil base, and tri-sodium phosphate.

3. A cleaning composition containing a soluble oil base, an alkali having detergent properties, and a filler.

4. A cleaning composition containing a soluble oilbase from 1 to 20%, tri-sodium CHARLES w. STUART. 

